Without a Doubt
by CaptainTwiggy0918
Summary: Elizabeth has a nightmare. A nightmare that is all too familiar to Meliodas. Is it a coincidence, or is there something else behind it? Will there be more nightmares, or will this effect the rest of the Sins?
1. Chapter 1-The First Nightmare

_A/N: Hello all! Please bear with me; I haven't written ANYTHING in 10 years so I am very rusty. I just recently discovered this series and I am hopelessly addicted to it. I've been inspired and decided to give it a go again. This fic may turn into an ongoing story. I've had this idea for a while; let's see what we can do with it! There probably will be Anime/Manga spoilers, since this is set sometime after the events of the Anime; though King and Ban are still with the group; just a warning!_

 _Also, I APOLOGIZE. This is going to be a little dark at first. However I am a sucker for happy endings, and I promise there will be one!_

 _Suggestions/Ideas are always welcome!_

Disclaimer: I do not own the Seven Deadly Sins; I am merely an obsessed fan who decided to borrow them so I could play with the characters.

No one trusted Meliodas more than Elizabeth did. It was a simple fact and common knowledge that the princess had great faith in the Sin of Wrath. Time and time again, he and the other Sins went well above and beyond their sense of duty to assist the kingdom in their time of need. Even now, with the threat of a Holy War, the Sins were still fighting for the kingdom that had once exiled them and branded them as criminals.

Sometimes though, Elizabeth couldn't help but to wonder about her comrade. There were still so many mysteries; so many unanswered questions that she had in regards to Meliodas. For someone that she cared deeply for, she really had no clue about his past. She didn't know the details as to why exactly he was known as the Dragon's Sin of Wrath. The only thing that was certain was that he was a very powerful being.

Her sister Veronica's words when they were in Vaizel after Meliodas was trapped in the Goddess Amber would sometimes appear in her mind as well, causing her to ponder the events of the disastrous fight festival. How was he able to break out of the crystal? Why did he have those shadowy swirls all over him? Why had he gone wild? What about the black crest she had seen on his forehead in Damally before then? Unanswered questions continued to pile up in her head.

Whenever she would try to ask about the subject, he would either divert the topic with a joke or grope or would give a vague answer that would effectively change the subject. It didn't help that he also had one hell of a poker face; it was hard to gauge what he was really thinking or feeling at times.

The other Sins didn't have much to say about his past either since they were as much in the dark about it as she was. Even The Goat Sin of Lust with his Invasion skills wasn't willing to spill the beans about his Captain out of respect for him.

Usually she could push the creeping curiosity and questions out of her head where they would disappear and all would be fine. She wasn't owed any explanations after all and she had resolved to believe in him no matter what, even if the world was against them. Each member of the Seven Deadly Sins had their secrets that they kept secured within themselves (unless Gowther decided to mess around in their minds again and divulge them to everyone). Especially when it came to the sins they committed. Meliodas wasn't any different. This didn't bother her, and the princess would go about her daily routine at the Boar Hat, helping out in any way she could while the other's would strategize and plan how to proceed with searching for the Dragon Hilt and possibly Escanor, the last missing sin.

One particular evening, Elizabeth was exhausted after a busy night waitressing. She was certain her feet would fall off if they could with how sore they were from the constant back and forth between tables and waiting on customers. She was proud of herself tonight as she hardly made any mistakes; she had come a long way from when she used to trip over her own feet every five minutes and cause a mess on the floor.

Everyone was downstairs working to close up the tavern for the night. Ban was back in the kitchen area washing dishes with Hawk keeping him company; Diane was clearing off tables while King hovered over her on Chastiefol engaging her in conversation. Gowther was sitting at the bar holding a large dusty book, reading intensely. Merlin had retired long ago to the attic she shared with the Goat Sin to check Aldan and see if she could pinpoint any signs in regards to the missing fragment of the Coffin of Eternal Darkness. It had been weeks since they left the capital; finding the Dragon Hilt was top priority.

Meliodas was behind the bar counter, wiping down mugs and putting them away. Business had been good and he was fairly satisfied with the spoils from the evening. He was lucky that he had such pretty waitresses to help bring in the customers. To be specific, he was very pleased with the princess. She wasn't the only one who had noticed her improvement. The blond looked over at her and watched as she stumbled while carrying the last of the dirty dishes towards the kitchen. Luckily Diane was close by to catch her and stop the tableware from crashing to the floor. "Ahhh! I'm so sorry Diane!" A knowing smirk spread across his face. She had to be tired.

"Hey, Elizabeth!" He grinned as she glanced up at him in surprise from across the room.

"Yes, Sir Meliodas?"

"You did great tonight, so why don't you go upstairs and turn in early? The others are almost finished and as soon as I'm done cleaning these, I'll be up there to join you." He beamed at Elizabeth, his emerald eyes gleaming brightly in mirth.

Nodding in agreement and blushing from his insinuation, the silver haired princess was so fatigued that she hardly protested and opted to listen to the captain instead of insisting on staying and tidying up with the rest of the group.

"Yes, ok. Good night everyone!" Elizabeth waved at her friends as she made her way up to the shared bedroom.

Elizabeth quickly washed up and changed into her nightgown before climbing into the bed, pulling the soft covers over herself with a content sigh. It felt good to finally be off of her feet. She was going to attempt to wait for Meliodas to come up and get ready for bed so she could speak with him since they didn't get a chance to chat with one another as much with how busy the bar had been, but as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep slumber.

Elizabeth rarely had dreams when she slept. If she did, she certainly didn't remember them. Sharing a bed with the blonde captain and being at the Boar Hat meant that she felt safe and slept peacefully. This night was different. Maybe it was because she went to bed early without her favorite Sin by her side or perhaps it was because of the looming threat that they faced on their journey to find the missing ritual relic that weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Either way, for the first time since she began her quest to find the Seven Deadly Sins, Elizabeth dreamed.

….

The first thing the princess noticed as she opened her eyes was that the sky was a dark, threatening grey. It was raining, and streams of cool water were running down the cracks of the paved cobblestones on the ground and around her bare feet. Elizabeth looked around with confusion etched on her face as she tried to figure out where she was. Buildings were collapsing from damage taken and houses and business stands had been destroyed and were either reduced to rubble or burning. The streets appeared to be quiet and deserted but it was very hard to tell. It was as if she was teleported from the bedroom into a town that looked like it has been recently attacked.

"Where…where am I…?"Her silver head snapped back and forth as she took in her surroundings. She didn't remember ever being in a place like this before and the deepening sense of dread in her chest told her that this wasn't a place she wanted to remain at either.

She was standing in the middle of an unknown street in an unknown city wearing nothing but her pink pajamas. And she was alone. Lifting her head up, she saw the tattered remains of a flag with what looked to be an insignia on it. The design was very familiar to her, however she couldn't quite remember from where.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Nothing but silence answered her.

Elizabeth wasn't sure what she should do next. Why was she all alone? Why was she here? The frown on her face deepened as she realized that she was lost. Considering her options, she decided it was best to at least try to find a way out of this place. Maybe along the way she would run into the Sins. The princess wanted nothing more than to find her companions as soon as possible.

It had been at least a few minutes but to Elizabeth it felt like hours since she had moved from the street she originated from. Her feet were splashing through puddles of cold water and over rubble as she stepped, searching for any signs of the Seven Deadly Sins or even any persons who could help her figure out what was going on and how to get back to the Boar Hat. The further she walked the more alarmed she became.

"S-Sir Meliodas? Are you here?!" She called out as she trudged along the broken streets. She was hoping that she would at least catch a glimpse of tousled golden hair and bright emerald eyes. At this point she would be happy to see any of the Sins, even Sir Ban, whom she found intimidating!

Out of nowhere there was a dark chuckle that seemed to resonate all around her. It was un-nerving. Elizabeth frantically twirled around to try to find the source. It was then that she noticed a crumbled stone structure close to her.

She hesitantly stepped towards the wall; she found herself drawn to it for an unknown reason. A figure began to take shape the closer she got to it. Propped up against the wall was a woman in armor. There was a strange sense of familiarity about her and the silver haired girl couldn't understand why. It was as if she was looking at herself.

Elizabeth could see that the woman appeared to be a Holy Knight and was heavily injured; her chest pierced through and blood tricking from her mouth with eyes closed and head dipped forwards. The lady's magenta hair was covering her eyes. The princess sprinted towards the person as quickly as she could while trying not to trip over scattered pieces of debris along the way. She was determined to get to the mystery woman so she could attempt to heal her.

Before she could reach her, Elizabeth noticed another person standing in front of the dying knight with their hands clenched into tight fists, their back turned towards her. While he was wearing a different outfit than his usual button down and black vest, there was no mistaking the messy blond hair that this individual was sporting. Relief washed over her as she continued forwards, her heart pounding in her chest. "SIR MELIODAS!"

Meliodas didn't acknowledge her. Elizabeth came to a stop only a short distance away from them, panting heavily. "Sir Melio…! " Her voice tapered off as Meliodas moved towards the fallen holy knight. She watched him kneeling down and cradling the woman's head into his arms. His body started trembling and twitching as overwhelming grief took hold of him. She could hear him sobbing; she could feel the sorrow emanating from him.

Elizabeth's own tears were streaming down her cheeks as she stared at him with a sharp mix of heartbreak and guilt coursing through her. The knight didn't make it. What made the situation much worse was that she had never seen Meliodas like this before. Every fiber of her being wanted nothing more than to pull him into her arms and comfort him; to share the burden of his sadness. Yet she found that she couldn't move and was rooted to the spot she stood in.

A new question popped into the princess' mind while she quietly watched the Dragon Sin slowly lose himself in his anguish. It was very clear that this person was someone who was extremely important to Sir Meliodas. But who was she?

The answer came suddenly and hit her hard like a satchel of bricks. There was only one person she knew of whom was of great importance to him in his past life as a Holy Knight. It was one of the few things she knew about him in regards to his past at all.

"Liz….this…this is Liz…" she whispered, her eyes widening in shock.

The atmosphere suddenly became ominous. Even with her limited abilities she could sense the drastic change. It felt like a powerful smothering shadow was flowing from in front of her. The princess stepped backwards, eyes wide with horror. Meliodas was now covered in the same dark spirals she saw back in Vaizel and pure malevolent energy was swirling all around him. This was more extreme and felt way more potent and out of control than before. She flinched as Meliodas started screaming, his eyes now bottomless onyx pools. Her dismay increased tenfold.

As frightened as she was at the moment of his power, she was more afraid for his well-being. Elizabeth fought her fear and hurried towards the Dragon Sin in an attempt to help him. The dark tendrils of energy then leapt from the depths of his being and consumed everything in its path, including her. The world turned a deep pitch black. Elizabeth felt herself fading; immense pain wracked her body as the violent magical force engulfed her completely. With the last bit of strength that she could muster, she reached out with her hand, trying desperately to grab onto the man whose Wrath was destroying everything.

"MEEEEEELIODAAAAAS!"

….

"ELIZABETH! Wake up Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open and she jolted awake with a shaky gasp of air. She was covered in sweat and tears were pouring down her face. Hovering over her and gazing at her with a very concerned pair of emerald green eyes was literally the man of her dream. Meliodas was gently but firmly grasping her by her shoulders; the remnants of a now frayed rope tossed across the bed and onto the floor. There were a few split ends from the rope still on his night shirt. The look on his face was one of worry; one of the rare times he let his emotions show through his usual calm exterior.

Meliodas had gone upstairs about an hour after Elizabeth had. Everyone else had already gone to bed for the evening and he was the last one to turn in for the night. After changing into his pajamas and going through the nightly ritual of Hawk tying him up, the captain had eased into bed next to the slumbering princess. He watched her sleep for a little while, a small warm smile on his lips. Just as he was about to drift off was when he noticed a change in her demeanor.

Propping himself up slightly, Meliodas frowned. He saw panic and terror spread across her pretty face. Once she had started crying in her sleep, he had tried gently to wake her up by softly calling out to her and nudging her with his shoulder. It wasn't until she had shouted his name and started twitching with her hand raised in the air that he busted out of his restraints and grabbed her to shake her awake. He would be very surprised if her shriek hadn't woken everyone in the tavern up and fully expected someone to barge through the door at any minute.

He continued to gaze down at the girl below him, the troubled expression cemented on his face. He didn't particularly like the hint of fear in her eyes as she looked back at him. "Elizabeth, are you alright?"

The room came into focus. She was back in her shared bedroom. A cool breeze flowed in from the open windows, curtains swaying slowing. The room was quiet and peacefully still. She was home at the Boar Hat. Sir Meliodas was safe and in control. She was unharmed. Elizabeth blinked and swallowed hard at the realization that she just had a nightmare.

"Y-yes, Sir Meliodas, I….I'm ok. I…just had a really bad dream." She struggled and failed to smile at the Sin of Wrath, trying to alleviate his concern for her.

Before she could say anything further, Meliodas had lifted her up from her prone position in bed and was holding her in a warm embrace, her face pressed into the crook of his neck as he placed a hand on the back of her head, his left arm wrapped around her to further secure her against him. "It's ok, I'm right here. You're safe."

Elizabeth felt herself relaxing into him as her cheeks flushed crimson. She slowly wrapped her arms around him to reciprocate his hug and they both sat still while the princess attempted to calm down. She could feel her heart rapidly thudding in her chest from the panic that had gripped her just moments earlier.

"That must have been one heck of a nightmare." Meliodas turned his head slightly to look down at the woman in his arms.

Nodding faintly, she pressed her face into his neck, her tears flowing freely again. "It felt so real...I…I was in this town…there had been a battle. There were no people around, except for this one woman…she was a Holy Knight and was lying against a wall and was injured. I…I couldn't get to her in time. You were there. And t-then…" Her voice trailed off, not wanting to delve any further into what happened. The last thing she wanted to do was to admit that he had ended her existence in the dream. The last thing she ever wanted to do was to hurt him.

"And then…?" He questioned softly, raising a brown at her in curiosity. It wasn't like her to hold back when discussing things with him, no matter how upsetting the topic may be. If there was one thing the captain knew, it was that Elizabeth trusted him completely. Her unwavering belief in him gave him strength in any ordeal that they faced together. He didn't want her to relive the nightmare however he also felt that he would be better equipped to calm her if he knew all the details. Even after all they have been through Meliodas had never seen the princess so shaken.

"And then…you…you lost control, Sir Meliodas. You were there, and y-you were covered in these strange dark markings…and you…" She stopped herself from saying anything further, her voice barely a whisper. The room grew quiet once again as the girl fell into silence and pressed her face deeper into his shoulder.

While his facial expression remained unchanged, Meliodas' eyes grew wide at the insinuation of her words as a chill traveled down his spine. Elizabeth had a nightmare about him. About a side of him that he kept hidden under lock and key and did his best to keep a secret. The side of him that still managed to rear its head at times. He swallowed thickly. What did he do to her in this dream? He was afraid of the answer.

The blonde lowered his head slightly as he mulled over the details of this 'dream'. Elizabeth had mentioned that a female knight was involved; that she was injured and died from her wounds. It sounded very similar to how Liz died. He felt a pang of sadness as the memories of that despicable day returned to him. This didn't sound like just any random nightmare. Based on the few details she had given him, it sounded like for whatever reason, Elizabeth dreamed about the fall of Danafor.

This wasn't a subject that the Sin of Wrath was quite ready to breach just yet with the princess. It wasn't so much as what happened in Danafor that he was uneasy about; he accepted his failure to protect the fallen kingdom and Liz as his sin to bear for as long as continued to live. It was more of the fact that he really didn't want to acknowledge to the one person who meant the world to him and whom he would protect with his life that he wasn't human. That he was of the same race that they were desperately trying to keep sealed away, hence their mission to find the fragment of the Coffin of Eternal Darkness.

It was true that the cat had been let out of the bag a few times already via Hendrickson and Ban was also fully aware that he was a demon thanks to the member of the Goddess clan. It also didn't help that he went into berserker mode in Vaizel. He wasn't naïve; he knew that the rest of their group of Sins also had their suspicions. Still, it wasn't exactly the type of thing that he wanted to go parading around everyone or announce to the world.

Elizabeth shifted somewhat, moving her face to glance up at the Dragon Sin. Meliodas signed. At least she didn't have that fearful look in her eyes anymore. That still didn't change the fact that she had this dream, nor did it change the stinging reality that her distress was because of him thanks to this nightmare. Perhaps a discussion with Merlin tomorrow about this was in order. Something else had to be at play here for Elizabeth to dream about an event that happened over 16 years ago. It couldn't just be a coincidence. He wanted to find out who or what was behind this and put an end to them fast. He did not appreciate the fact that Elizabeth had been exposed to his sin, especially in her sleep where she was most vulnerable.

"Sir Meliodas…?"

He blinked, looking back down at the princess in his arms before shooting her a half smile. "Elizabeth…I'm so sorry you had a dream like that. I can assure you that I would never willingly do anything to cause any harm to you or anyone else that we care about." He leaned forwards, resting his forehead against hers as he spoke, staring into her one uncovered blue eye. The last thing that he would ever want was for his princess to get hurt. Just the memory of seeing her injured and blood pooling out of her side after he confronted Hendrickson for a second time was enough to twist his stomach in knots. He'd rather be destroyed completely than to ever cause her any harm by his hands.

Elizabeth blushed deeply as his forehead met hers. A genuine smile broke out across her face as she gazed up into the blonde's piercing green eyes. "I…I know, Sir Meliodas. I trust you." And she meant it with all of her heart.

Were there things that she didn't know about when it came to the Dragon Sin of Wrath and his past? Things that sometimes frightened her? Of course. What she just experienced in the nightmare was proof of that and only forced more questions into the surface of her mind. But in the end it was just a dream, right?

There was no one else in the world that she trusted and loved as much as she did the Dragon Sin. He had proven himself many times already to her and the kingdom. That thought alone helped alleviate the remaining uneasiness she felt from earlier and Elizabeth rationally decided that she would simply not let the nightmare bother her any further.

Meliodas grinned back at the silver haired princess and released her from his arms, but not before he snuck a quick squeeze of her breasts, which caused Elizabeth to squeak and her blush to deepen further. "I'm glad to hear that" he whispered sincerely. "Now then, do you think you can try to go back to sleep?"

"Yes, I think I should be fine now." She nodded to Meliodas as he slipped back into his side of the bed. "Good!" He chuckled. "Now I wonder just how much trouble I'm going to be in tomorrow when a certain little piggy comes in and finds the rope torn to shreds."

Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle as she imagined Hawk's reaction. The poor overprotective pig. He would probably roast himself from the inside out! She allowed herself to sink back down onto her pillow, facing her Sin, a soft smile gracing her features as she pulled the covers over the both of them.

"Sir Meliodas…thank you." The princess yawned, covering her mouth with her hand as she felt herself slowing sinking back into slumber, her eyes closing. _'That's right…no matter what; I will always have faith in in you…'_

Meliodas patiently waited until he was certain that she had fallen back to sleep and that no more nightmares were going to plague her. He quietly reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers together, pulling gently towards him until their hands rested against his chest. "Anytime Elizabeth. Sweet dreams. " He closed his eyes, resolving to look deeper into the situation in the morning.

Without a doubt, he would do everything in his power to make certain that Elizabeth would never experience anything like that again.

 _So, what do you think? Should I continue? Hope you enjoyed it!_


	2. Chapter 2-The Morning After

_A/N: Wow! Thank you all so much for the reviews and faves/follows! Since the general consensus was to continue, here's Chapter 2! Depending on how busy I am, I plan to try to update at least once a week. I hope you all like what I have in store for the Seven Deadly Sins and continue to enjoy this story. Any ideas or suggestions are always welcome!_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Seven Deadly Sins. I'm just an obsessed fan borrowing the characters to have fun with._

 _..._

Bright sunlight was flowing through the open window in golden streams, cascading in waves and casting a soft glow in the bedroom that Meliodas and Elizabeth shared. The two were still asleep in bed; their hands still clasped firmly together against the sleeping sin's chest. Neither one of them had hardly moved at all from the positions they fell asleep in. It was almost as if the events from the previous night had never occurred. The only sign that something transpired still lay on the floor in sinewy tatters between the bed and the door. This was how the Captain of the Order of Scraps Disposal found them as he trotted into the room to wake the snoozing couple up for the day.

Hawk took one look at the rope on the floor and immediately assumed the worst. It was common knowledge that Meliodas was quite handsy with the princess. That's why precautions had to be taken to ensure he didn't go too far. The candid images running through the pig's mind only fueled the fires burning within him and he turned a rather dark shade of pink. He was preparing to avenge what he assumed was Elizabeth's now stolen innocence.

"MELIODAS, YOU BASTARD!" he squealed and stomped a hoof in his anger.

Hawk took a few steps back, steadying himself before leaping up and landing as hard as he could onto the sleeping sin. Meliodas' eyes snapped open and he let out a loud "Oof!" before turning his head to face the pig. Already he was contemplating how much meat he could get out of him. The blonde could practically taste the pork now.

"How DARE you take advantage of Elizabeth while she's sleep-!" Before Hawk could finish his sentence, Meliodas grabbed him by the jowls to shut him up, dangling him over the side of the bed. "Oh hold your bacon Porky! I didn't deflower the princess last night, not that I wouldn't have minded." He paused to yawn and glanced over at her, watching as she started to stir from all the noise the pig was making. "Elizabeth had a bad dream and I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands."

Hawk wasn't so sure he believed that. He squirmed under the Dragon's Sin's tight hold until Meliodas released his grip and dropped him to the ground. "A bad dream?"

Elizabeth sat up and rubbed her eyes before she looked around, blinking away the last bit of sleep. "Oh! Good morning Sir Meliodas! Good morning Hawk!" She smiled warmly at the pig from her position in bed.

"Elizabeth! Meliodas said you had a bad dream last night! Are you alright?" Hawk wasted no time in making sure that his friend was okay now that he was assured that the captain didn't engage in lewd acts with her.

The princess nodded. "Yes Hawk, I'm alright. It was just a nightmare. Sir Meliodas was here and everything's okay now." She blushed slightly, recalling the soothing embrace that he had held in her last night while she was weeping on his shoulder.

Hawk snorted in reply. "Yeah, sure he was. We better make sure we get more rope for tonight!"

If Meliodas' eyes rolled any further back into his head in response to the pig he'd be staring at his brain. Sighing softly to himself, he jumped out of the bed and stretched. "Well, no use lying around up here. Let's get up and get the day started!" He turned and grinned mischievously at Elizabeth. "I can help you get dressed if you want".

Elizabeth's face flushed again as Hawk stomped his hoof on the floor at the Sin of Wrath. "She can dress herself just fine you pervert!"

…...

The rest of the morning was an otherwise uneventful one. Ban had woken up and made everyone breakfast from the leftovers they had stored from the previous night. Six members of the Seven Deadly Sins and Elizabeth all sat around one of the tavern tables, eating and enjoying each other's company, while Hawk stood nearby chomping on scraps. A comfortable stillness soon fell on all of them as they finished their meals and started cleaning up.

The Fox Sin was the first to break the silence. "Soooooo, I heard our princess and you had some excitement last night Cap'n~" He shot Meliodas a sly look and he plopped down into the seat next to him after he finished scrubbing the last of the breakfast dishes.

Everyone in the room turned their attention to the captain and Elizabeth, the latter's eyes widening, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Meliodas leaned back in his chair with his arms propped behind his head as he started up at the ceiling, his face expressionless. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Ban smirked at the Dragon Sin before continuing. "Master told me that you broke out of your ropes last night and he found you two togeeether~" Nothing pleased the Fox Sin more than causing a little chaos among his friends. The noticeable feelings between the captain and the princess made it all too easy for him and he couldn't pass up the chance to cause some mischief. A guy had to have some fun, right?

' _Stupid swine'._ "Hmmm…I wonder if we can serve pork tenderloin for the customers tonight…I'm sure we can find a recipe." In the background, everyone's ears picked up the terrified squeak from Hawk. "You better watch it or I'll tell my mama on you!" Meliodas snickered at the pig's idle threats. A confused and slightly irritated Diane turned to look at her silver haired friend, whose face was now as bright as a cherry tomato at Ban's implications. "What's he talking about? Did the captain do something to you in your sleep? "Elizabeth smiled politely as she answered the giantess. "I-it was nothing. I had a bad dream is all, and Sir Meliodas had to get out of the ropes to help me." It was the truth after all. Thank the Goddesses that he was there to wake her up and comfort her even when he was part of the nightmare. She was very grateful for Sir Meliodas; he was always there for her when she needed him most.

Diane blinked and looked up at King, who shrugged while floating above her on Chastiefol again, before turning her attention back to the princess. "A bad dream? About what?" The other Sins were looking at her, waiting for an explanation. They were collectively curious; her reaction must have been pretty rough to elicit such a response from their captain.

The Dragon Sin mentally braced himself while keeping his appearance neutral. While Law Number 3 of the Seven Deadly Sins forbade the members to ask about each other's specific sin, that didn't mean that they hadn't heard the numerous rumors in regards to the reasons behind Danafor being wiped off of the face of Britannia. Ban, Diane, and King all had been witnesses to his exchange with Old Man Cain in Vaizel. He had to prepare himself. He wasn't so foolish to think that he wouldn't inevitably have to confirm the accuracy of these rumors with his comrades, among other things. Hell, he was pretty sure that at least one or two of them had connected the dots as to what happened 16 years ago. His eyes met Elizabeth's as his heart slowly sank at the realization that he would eventually have to tell her that her nightmare wasn't a dream at all but rather a harsh reality.

This brought him back to the current dilemma. If his hunch was correct, someone or something targeted Elizabeth and caused her to have that nightmare and experience the events at Danafor. He wasn't exactly sure why that specific incident was chosen or how, but the idea that someone deliberately set out to cause her pain made his blood boil.

The sound of Elizabeth's soft voice brought him out of his thoughts. "It wasn't too bad; I actually don't remember much about it anymore. Just that I was alone in a town somewhere." The princess smiled gently at Meliodas, keeping her gaze locked with his. Something akin to surprise flashed through his green eyes. She wasn't going to tell them about the nightmare?

While she did feel bad for misleading her dear friends, she had an innate sense that it was more important to keep the details of the nightmare to between herself and Sir Meliodas. She couldn't explain why since it was only a dream though she felt motivated to do so in order to protect her Dragon Sin. Diane and King glanced at each other again while Ban was busy cleaning his left ear with his pinky finger, a bored expression on his face. Merlin sat with her legs crossed, wearing one of her many mysterious smiles. It was blatantly obvious that the girl was hiding something and they all had picked up on the look shared between the princess and the captain.

Gowther tilted his head to one side and studied the princess. The Goat Sin seemed intrigued. He also had picked up on the fib and was curious as to what the silent interaction between Meliodas and Elizabeth meant. It looked like he was about to say something, but before he could get a word out, Meliodas stood up from his chair and clapped his hands together in front of him. "All right everyone! We have errands to run today. We need to restock so we can get ready to open the bar tonight." He turned to Elizabeth and grinned at her. "Diane, Elizabeth, why don't you two go into town and see if you can buy some supplies? It'll be a good chance to get some extra advertising in while you're there. We need herbs and some vegetables. Hawk, you should go with them for support." The pig snorted and puffed his chest out proudly. "Sure! You can count on me to protect them!"

Elizabeth nodded in agreement and smiled at Diane. "Yes, of course! We can have a little girl time while we're there." The shrunken giantess lit up in excitement. She considered the princess to be one of her closest friends and truly loved it when they were able to have a little time to themselves. Even if they were doing something as simple as going into town to purchase goods for the tavern. "Alright Captain! We'll be back soon! Come on Elizabeth!"

Meliodas chuckled as Diane pulled the princess from the table by her hand and out the door of the tavern with Hawk squealing for them to wait so he could catch up to the rambunctious Serpent Sin. He watched as their figures slowly disappeared past the grassy hill leading to the nearby village before his attention turned to Ban and King. "Ban, King, we're going to need to go hunting so we have food to serve for tonight. The person who brings back the biggest catch wins."

Ban snapped to attention, a cocky grin spreading across his face. He loved competition and knew that victory would be his no matter what, especially against the scrawny fairy. "You got it Cap'n! Let's go, King!" The Sin of Greed jumped up and grabbed a plush corner of the fairy's sacred treasure, dragging a flustered King out the door behind him. "Baaaaaann! Let go!" The fairy protested. Both of them were too preoccupied to notice that their captain hadn't joined in on the hunt like usual.

Satisfied with his plan to get everyone out of the Boar Hat so he could have a little extra privacy, the blonde turned towards the mage still sitting in the room. He wasn't concerned about Gowther, who was sitting on a bar stool, looking out the open door at the disappearing silhouettes of two of his comrades with an indifferent look on his face. Meliodas knew the Goat Sin respected him enough to not disclose any of his secrets. It was time to get down to business. "Merlin, when you have a minute, I need to speak with you about something important."

The mage couldn't resist flashing a knowing smile at their leader. "Of course, Captain. Shall we?" She got up slowly from her chair and led the way up to the attic that she had set up as her shared room with the Sin of Lust. The once uncluttered loft was now filled with numerous tomes and scrolls; unidentified charms, orbs, and various other magical items with unknown effects were hanging from the walls and ceiling. Merlin walked out to the balcony and waited as Meliodas stepped up next to her. Both Sins were quiet as they took in the scenery around them. Hawk's Mom was currently settled in small clearing surrounded by lush trees and colorful foliage. The closest town was a short distance away beyond a hill, which made the location that much more desirable. It provided both shelter and proximity.

"So Captain, I take it that you are not here to speak about the fragment, correct?" The mage smirked at the short blonde standing next to her. Meliodas frowned, his eyes narrowing as he turned to look up at Merlin. That was another problem that they had to deal with. They were closer to Camelot, yet there were no obvious signs as to where the bird-like creature was, nor were there any clues as to the whereabouts of the Dragon Hilt. Time was of the essence and they really couldn't afford any added setbacks. "Not exactly. I wanted to talk to you about Elizabeth." Merlin's smirk grew slightly at this. "About the princess? Does this have something to do with the incident that occurred last night?"

The Dragon Sin nodded. "Yes. Elizabeth had a nightmare. Normally that wouldn't be a big concern, except it's what she dreamed about that bothers me."

The mage appeared fascinated. Whatever was troubling the captain must be upsetting enough to warrant him going to her for assistance. "I see. What did the princess dream about that has you so unsettled, Captain?"

"Well…"Meliodas leaned against the railing, contemplating his words carefully. "From what I could gather, it was about Danafor. She was there in the dream shortly before it was annihilated." A small lump formed in his throat as he recalled the way she had looked at him when she first woke up; the traces of terror that shone in her eyes. "She…witnessed what happened. It sounds like she was caught up in the power that destroyed the kingdom in this nightmare." There was no need for him to state where said power came from. "It truly frightened her."

Merlin cocked her head slightly while observing the Sin of Wrath imperceptibly. "I see. So she experienced your sin in her dream. How curious. Am I to assume that she had no knowledge of what caused Danafor's fall beforehand?"

Meliodas nodded his reply. So he was right; Merlin knew that he was the cause as to why the ill-fated kingdom was blown into nothingness. "While there are plenty of rumors, I don't think she's really heard any of them, being royalty and all. She didn't realize where she was in the nightmare. She probably thinks it's just a dream and that it wasn't real." He straightened his posture and sighed. "It's too much of a coincidence to be a random bad dream. Why would Elizabeth have a dream about Danafor? Why would she be a part of it?"

A slender finger tapped against her pursed lips in thought as the sin captain's words sank in. Merlin remained silent for a moment before responding. "So you think something has caused this nightmare then? That it was purposefully placed into her mind?"

"Yes. I can't shake the feeling that this was intentional. I don't know how, but I have a guess as to why." Shoving his hands into his pockets, Meliodas sighed again, the frown on his face deepening the more he deliberated about it. "Do you know of anything or anyone who has the ability to do that? If it was a demon we'd have picked up on their presence, so that's not it. There's been no sign that the Seal has been broken yet and I didn't sense anything out of the ordinary last night either." It was perplexing to him. They hadn't run into any trouble lately and he was positive they weren't being followed as they traveled to King Arthur's county. The kingdom of Liones had welcomed them back with open arms and their names had been cleared of treason after the events at the capital. So who would do this, and why target Elizabeth?

The mage crossed her arms as her eyes drifted out towards the clearing again. "I would have to conduct some additional research and look into the matter further. The only being I know of at the top of my head that has that sort of capability is Gowther, however I seriously doubt he would be behind anything such as this. His power is currently stable and I monitor him daily so there's no threat of him going out of control." The woman's lips curved into an enigmatic smile. "Not to worry, dear Captain. We will find the culprit and will deal with it accordingly." Internally she couldn't deny that she was excited at the prospect of possibly discovering something new. It didn't go unnoticed. Meliodas likened her current mood to a cat finding a mouse to toy with before it went for the kill.

It wasn't quite the answer he was hoping for, but it would have to do for now. Following Merlin's gaze, he could spot the faint outlines of Hawk, Diane, and Elizabeth trekking up the hill and through the clearing towards the Boar Hat. They had finished their errand for the day. "Good. Thanks Merlin. I'm counting on you." Meliodas turned around and headed out the attic towards the main room, whistling cheerfully while he walked down the stairs. He couldn't let the previous night's events to continue to bother him; he had a business to run and a princess to greet and grope.

...

It had been yet another hectic night at the Boar Hat. The girl's advertising in town had paid off, just as Meliodas expected it would. The tavern was bustling with customers, keeping the Sins constantly busy and on their toes. Ban didn't even have the chance to sneak out of the kitchen for a pint of Vanya Ale as he was accustomed to doing. It was well past midnight before the last patron left. The Dragon Sin locked the door behind them and made his way back over the counter. While they all could manage well enough by themselves, it was good that they were bringing money in for their travels. He observed the tavern with a satisfied grin and nodded in approval.

Elizabeth and Diane were busy wiping down the tables and sweeping the leftover signs that people had been there off the floor. The Fox Sin was still stuck in the kitchen washing cookware though he somehow was able to rope the Grizzly Sin into drying the dishes. Gowther was at his usual perch at the bar with his nose stuck in a new book Elizabeth had bought him with extra coins she had while in town; it was some fairy tale that had to do with a beauty and a beast that she thought the Goat Sin would like. Merlin had snuck off to her quarters in the attic again; probably conducting goddess knows what experiments on unsuspecting guinea pigs.

Meliodas glanced over at the princess as she struggled with the door leading into the kitchen area with the last of the plates from the dining room balanced unsteadily in her hands. She seemed just as tired as she had been the night before, however it was obvious to him that she was determined to stay and finish cleaning up with everyone else. He couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of guilt in the knowledge that she was most likely pushing herself to stay awake and help out because she didn't want to go to bed alone. This only served to strengthen his resolution to find out what was behind the nightmare as soon as possible.

The blonde set the last few clean mugs away on the shelf behind him before doing a final sweep of the place with his eyes. "Okay, let's call it a night!" Elizabeth came back into the main room. Before the door leading to the kitchen closed the Sin Captain's ears could pick up Ban's grumbling to King about the unfairness in being stuck in the back cooking and doing dishes 'like a slave'. "Are you ready to turn in, Elizabeth?"

"Yes, Sir Meliodas. Let's go get some sleep." She smiled at him softly while moving towards the stairs. He returned her smile and quickly hopped over the bar counter to get behind her. Elizabeth let out a gasp and jumped slightly as his hands somehow managed to find themselves rubbing her bottom, his fingers squeezing teasingly. "Damn you! Get your hands off of her!" "CAPTAIN!" Both Diane and Hawk screeched in unison at the Sin of Wrath. Oh yeah; they were still in the room. In between Hawk's teeth was a brand new roll of rope to tie the captain up with as a certain giantess and pig had remembered to buy more while they were out gathering supplies earlier that day.

"Have a good night everyone!" Elizabeth called out to the rest of the Sins as she started up towards the bedroom. Meliodas propped his arms behind his head as he climbed up the stairs with her; Hawk following close behind them.

Elizabeth grabbed her nightgown and entered the bathroom to change while Hawk dealt with Meliodas. She glimpsed at the mirror hanging up above the vanity, frowning slightly at her appearance. She looked more drained than usual, even after such a lively night at the Boar Hat. She couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive at the moment. What if she had another nightmare tonight? She hoped that if she did dream again that the next one didn't involve Sir Meliodas. It wasn't that she was afraid of him. Her confidence in the Sin would never waiver. It was the dream itself. Watching him sob in despair while pressing Liz's limp form to him was painful. Not being able to do anything to aid him made it worse. She had felt completely helpless and worthless. And then afterwards…

The princess shook her silver head back and forth to rid herself of the tears threatening to bubble up in the corners of her eyes. No, she would not dwell on this any further! It was just a dream. Nothing more, nothing less. She needed to be strong and forget about it. Maybe in the future she would find the gumption to speak with him about the finer points of her dream, but for now she needed to focus on helping Sir Meliodas and the others with their current mission. She wouldn't be of any use to them if she couldn't get over this. And didn't she already decide to not let it bother her? "Get it together Elizabeth." She muttered to herself with newfound determination set in her eyes.

Elizabeth quickly stripped out of her work uniform and put on her nightgown and left the bathroom after putting her dirty clothes away. She gingerly stepped back out into the bedroom and made her way towards the bed. Her companion was tied up and under the covers waiting for her. She climbed into bed and scooted down until she was facing him. "Sir Meliodas?"

It looked like he had already fallen asleep; his eyes were closed and he was breathing softly between slightly parted lips. She couldn't blame him; it had been quite a busy night for them all. The blonde stirred somewhat, his eyes opened halfway sluggishly; a drowsy smile tugging at his lips. He had felt her get into bed. "Hey there, Elizabeth. Try to get some sleep. And if you have any more dreams tonight, don't you worry. I'm right here and won't let anything happen to you." It was as if he knew what was going on in her mind. He sensed her presence relax next to him as his eyes closed themselves again, sleep threatening to overtake him.

A calm smile spread across her features at his assurance and Elizabeth reached out to gently brush some of his golden locks away from his forehead. "Goodnight, Sir Meliodas..." She settled her head onto her pillow, her eyes slowing drooping as she drifted off herself. Sir Meliodas was right; so long as he was by her side she was certain she wouldn't have any more nasty dreams. She shouldn't have anything to worry about tonight.

Unfortunately for The Dragon Sin of Wrath, his dream that night was far from pleasant.


	3. Chapter 3-The Second Nightmare

_A/N: Thank you all for all the wonderful reviews and follows/faves!_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Seven Deadly Sins. I am borrowing them to have fun with for our entertainment._

…

As soon as he became aware, Meliodas recognized immediately that something was off. He could instantly tell that he was no longer in his bedroom at the tavern. Elizabeth's presence was gone. He couldn't even sense the energies of the other sins like he should have been able to. He glanced down at himself, noticing that he was still in his night clothes, sans rope.

"Huh?" His brows furrowed in confusion as he lifted his head and warily took in his surroundings. It appeared that he was standing right within the entryway of a huge castle.

Meliodas turned his gaze up at the stone palace, taking into account the design and structure. All of this seemed oddly familiar to him. It was a place he used to be at often, especially when he was a Holy Knight in service of King Baltra. Most recently he had been there to rescue a certain member of the royal family and to foil the demon race resurrection plot that two corrupted Grand Masters had cooked up.

"…I'm in Liones?" He scratched the back of his head, even more confused than before. Why would he be in Liones when Hawk's Mom has been traveling towards Camelot to the south? There were at least a couple hundred miles away by now. It made no sense at all. Not only that, but where was Elizabeth?

A combination of worry and anger threatened to swell up in his chest before he mentally beat it back into submission. Working himself up into a panic would do him no good. The first thing that needed to be done was to figure out why he was back at the capital in the first place and why he was the only one who seemed to be there out of their group. Standing there as a stationary target would be unwise if there was trouble and the more information he could collect the better prepared he would be to locate the wayward princess and possibly the rest of their group. Right now without any inkling as to what was going on he appeared to be at a slight disadvantage.

The blonde knew it wasn't much of a plan but it was better than just standing there twiddling his thumbs and waiting for something to happen. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he began walking through the entrance into the main hallway. Maybe he could find a Holy Knight or someone who could explain to him what was going on.

Meliodas stepped hastily through the narrow corridor, heightening his senses and attempting to tune into anything that seemed out of the ordinary so he could get a good gauge as to what the situation was. He came up empty. Just like the castle appeared to be at that moment. Green eyes widened as he realized he had stumbled onto a crucial detail.

"Where is everyone?"

Everything was eerily still. No holy knights were in sight; no royal servants dashing around to do their daily chores; no glimpses of townsfolk going about their daily routines through the windows. Nothing at all. The royal palace and probably all of Liones were somehow totally devoid of its citizens.

Meliodas frowned in thought. Liones was home to hundreds of people; he was certain that they all didn't leave out of their own free will at once. _'What the hell is going on?!'_

Another more sobering thought crossed his mind. It also meant that if Elizabeth was there then she was more than likely in danger as well. The Dragon Sin quickened his pace through the long hallways inside the castle while continuing his search for any signs of life.

"This isn't good." He couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that had sprung from his gut. Deep inside he just knew that Elizabeth was there. When it came to her specifically, he always knew.

In his heart he truly hoped that his intuition was wrong and that Elizabeth wasn't in the kingdom; that the princess was safe at the Boar Hat with the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins yet he had to admit that his instincts were hardly ever wrong.

The blonde was heading towards the throne room when a familiar prick of magical energy coursed through him, alerting him of another person's presence. A dark, massive power had entrenched itself inside the castle. He knew this specific power rather well although he hadn't sensed it in quite a long time. It was unexpected enough to stop him in his tracks.

"It can't be…" Meliodas whispered in disbelief. There was no possible way that this could be happening right now. There were no signs; no warnings. He would have known immediately if there had been any.

His fists clenched at his sides as he started shaking slightly, his insides twisting in a flurry of various emotions. There was no other choice but to continue to the throne room where this energy was and confront the source. He gritted his teeth in frustration; truly this was the worst possible situation he could be in at the moment. Of all the people he had to deal with, it just had to be him.

A few minutes later, he found himself standing in front of the doors leading to the royal chamber. Steeling his nerves the Dragon Sin of Wrath shoved the wooden doors open with so much vigor that one of them came off its hinges. Just as he suspected, sitting back leisurely on the throne was a man. A man whose entire being radiated darkness. A man that Meliodas knew all too well.

And he wasn't alone. The blonde's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of the body slumped next to the king's chair. She was thankfully alive; her chest steadily rising and falling as she breathed. A dark bruise was starting to form over one eye and blood was slowing trickling down from a cut near her forehead, staining her silver hair as it dripped. His instincts had been correct, damn it. Elizabeth was there. And she was in HIS clutches!

There was sudden movement as the man rose from his seat and took a few steps forwards with a shady smirk gracing his youthful face as he stared at his guest. "It's been a long time, Meliodas." Black eyes narrowed at the Dragon Sin as he spoke.

Meliodas stood straight and squared his shoulders at the man in front of him. "Yo, Zeldris! It's been what, like 3000 years?" He grinned casually as he greeted his fellow demon, even though in reality he was tense. The situation was serious if Zeldris was out of the seal. How the hell did he escape without the blood of an Apostle of the Goddesses?

Rage seared through Zeldris' eyes as he stared down at the Sin of Wrath. "You have no idea how much I have longed for this moment, Meliodas. I look forwards to exacting my revenge on you and the four clans."

The Dragon Sin stood still while keeping his gaze locked on his younger brother, his neutral expression masking the storm building up inside of him. Meliodas knew that he would have to tread carefully and not show an ounce of weakness. This meant that he had to make absolutely certain that he did not show any emotion that would tip Zeldris off. One wrong move would spell disaster for both him and Elizabeth.

"Really now? After we haven't seen each other in so long? That's a shame. We are brothers, after all." Meliodas quipped while continuing to stand as he placed his hands on his hips.

"That doesn't matter, now does it, _'brother'._ " Zeldris sneered. The contempt felt for his own flesh and blood was pouring off of him in waves. Meliodas chanced a quick glance at Elizabeth before his eyes settled back on his brother. His move didn't go undetected.

"Ah yes, I see you spotted the girl behind me. Seems I've made quite the delightful discovery. It's obvious she has the blood of the Goddesses coursing through her veins. Her blood would release the rest of the clan from the Seal." Zeldris said with a cruel smile playing on his lips.

Intense white heat flashed under Meliodas' skin as he continued to stare his brother down. His green eyes narrowed slightly. He still wasn't sure how his brother managed to escape the seal that bound the demon clan or if any others were able to get out along with him, but he could at least take some comfort in the fact that the seal was still intact. Now he just had to get Elizabeth away from him.

"Is that so? Guess I'm going to have to stop you then." Meliodas said confidently. He would put a wrench in the demon's plans and would protect her even if it was the last thing he ever did.

An intense stillness befell the room as both men stared each other down as if to dare one another to make the first strike. Before either one of them could make a move, an audible gasp broke the silence. "S-Sir Meliodas?!"

Both demons turned their attention to Elizabeth, her eyes wide open and gaping at Meliodas. His chest tightened as he glimpsed at her before his eyes jumped back to Zeldris, who was observing the two of them inquisitively.

Meliodas cursed mentally. In a way they both just validated that they were acquainted with one another. Zeldris was not stupid; he would most likely easily make the connection. As if things couldn't get any worse.

Faster than a human eye could see, Zeldris grabbed Elizabeth by the wrists and roughly yanked her from the chair to her feet, holding her up above him with great strength. She gasped again, this time in fear. At the same time Meliodas had anticipated his brother's movement and had darted forwards as quickly as he could; fists at the ready to knock him away from her.

Zeldris retaliated by drawing his sword with his free hand and slashing at Meliodas with enough power to throw him into the adjacent wall. Bricks of stone crumbled all around him due to the impact and crashed to the floor. He could hear Elizabeth scream out his name.

Meliodas lifted himself up and slowly climbed out of the crater his body had made with a groan, his chest bleeding freely thanks to the cut from his brother's blade. _'Looks like I don't have much of a choice. I need to end this fast.'_

"Hang in there Elizabeth. This will be over shortly." Meliodas reassured the princess. His body shifted into a fighting stance as he prepared to face off with Zeldris again. There were no other options at this point. He needed to use whatever means necessary to save her.

Internally he relinquished some control and allowed his demonic power to slip from within and engulf him. His senses sharpened considerably and he could feel the subtle increase in his strength as he allowed his own malevolent energy to surface. The crest that marked him as a member of the demon clan appeared on his forehead and his eyes darkened to black. His appearance now mirrored his brother's.

Zeldris sized Meliodas up, noting the change in his demeanor. There was evidently more to this than simply trying to stop the demon race from returning to Britannia. "Hmm…just who is this girl to you?"

Meliodas stayed quiet, refusing to validate his musings. To do so would be a fatal mistake. Unfortunately his silence was all the answer Zeldris needed. Realization dawned on him as he observed his brother with a knowing smirk. "Ah, now I see. This woman must be someone of importance to you. How interesting…" The demon's grip tightened as he turned to face Elizabeth.

Meliodas' eyes widened and jaw clenched in disbelief as he understood very quickly what his brother's intentions were. With all the strength he could muster he leapt towards them in an attempt to stop Zeldris.

"NO! ELIZABETH!"

In one swift motion Zeldris slid his entire sword through Elizabeth's midsection before twisting and yanking it out just as forcefully, relishing the sharp cry of pain from the princess. He released his grip on her wrists and watched in satisfaction as she sank towards the ground, blood pouring out rapidly from her wound. Meliodas hadn't been quick enough.

The blonde landed hard on his feet seconds later and managed to not only smack Zeldris out of the way, sending the latter soaring into a wall across the room, but to also catch Elizabeth right before she hit the ground. He sank to his knees while clutching her tightly. Pure distress began to seep into his soul as Elizabeth lay limp in his arms, her blood continuing to pool underneath her and all over him.

His only focus was her; nothing else existed at that moment. "NO Elizabeth! Stay with me! Heal yourself!" Meliodas frantically pleaded.

There was no response. "Damn it Elizabeth, HEAL!" His demand was met with more silence. This couldn't be happening. Not now.

He closed his dark eyes tightly as tears seeped from them. "Come ON Elizabeth! Don't do this to me!" He shook her in his desperation to get any sign of life out of her. "ELIZABETH!" Still nothing. He placed a hand on her chest to feel for a heartbeat. There was none.

A deflated Meliodas lowered his head and gently pressed the side of his face to hers. He was sobbing uncontrollably now, his tears dripping onto the fallen princess' pale cheeks as it hit him hard that she was gone. _'Just like Liz…'_

He had failed again. He failed to protect the one person whom he would gladly give his life for. The person who made his existence brighter. He swore that he would never again feel the agony he experienced when Liz died. But there it was; the same intense sorrow and grief that was overtaking him all over again. He gripped Elizabeth's body tighter to him. She had given him purpose. Without her in his life he had no reason to live. Now that she had left him all alone, he had nothing.

Something inside him snapped as his demonic powers suddenly spiked. Tendrils of dark energy swirled around him as he knelt down while cradling Elizabeth's corpse to him. The harsh waves of his power grew even more unstable and began to swallow everything nearby.

The last vestiges of his sanity left knew that the outcome was going to be similar to Danafor, however this time he found himself beyond caring. This time, Meliodas eagerly welcomed the chaos within him as his awareness faded into obscurity.

…...

"GRRAAAAAAAHH!"

Meliodas shouted loudly and jerked himself into an upright position. His entire body was saturated in sweat and he realized he was not only trembling but also breathing heavily. Remnants of tears dripped down his cheeks as he tried to get his bearings. He gradually let out a shaky breath as his emerald eyes darted back and forth on alert, fervently searching for any signs of danger.

He could grasp that he was still in bed. Silvery moonlight pooled from the windows casting patterns on the floor. The stars were twinkling brightly in the dark sky as crickets chirped in the distance. It was another serene night in Britannia. There were no perceived threats nearby. With a sigh Meliodas allowed himself to relax and lean back into the bedding.

' _That…that seriously was just a dream?!'_ he warily thought as he tried to calm his heart down. It appeared that way; after all, he was back in his shared bedroom. That meant Zeldris was still locked away in the seal with the rest of his clan. He had never left the Boar Hat and hadn't been in Liones since the battle against Hendrickson. That also meant that Elizabeth…

As if right on cue, Elizabeth spoke, her voice full of concern. "Sir Meliodas, are you alright!?"

His head snapped to the left as his eyes met hers. Elizabeth was awake and leaning towards him somewhat. She had a frightened look on her face, her eyes brimming with her own tears as she studied him intently. He blinked as she timidly reached out and wiped his face clean using the sleeves of her nightgown and watched as a small blush tinted her cheeks.

Normally he would have hidden the fact that he had been crying by utilizing humor or would have found some clever way to detract from it, however all that he could think about at that moment was how grateful he was that Elizabeth was alive and safe. Pure blissful relief washed over him as he stared at her.

Before he could react or even try to utter a word, Elizabeth slid closer to him and started grabbing at the rope that bound him, her fingers fumbling as she hurriedly worked to untie each knot. His brows shot up in surprise at her boldness. It took her a few minutes however as soon as she freed him from the last knot, the princess shoved the remaining rope to the floor and reached around the Dragon Sin to press him against her, her cheek resting on top of his head.

Meliodas found his face buried in her cleavage; not that he was complaining any. He nuzzled his head further into her chest as he reciprocated, his arms wrapping around her gently as they sat there again in silence. It was just like the previous night except this time it was her attempting to calm him down. It was working rather well; he could feel the leftover tension slowly ebb away as he listened to her heart beating. Nothing was said between them; then again, nothing really needed to be said. All that was required was the comfort that one another provided by just simply being there.

They both sat in each other's arms as time quietly passed by. Eventually Meliodas felt her body gradually sink into his. Her breaths became steadier and the grip of her arms around him loosened. He had to bite back a laugh; Elizabeth had fallen asleep on him, quite literally. Somehow he was able to carefully re-position himself to where he could maneuver her into his arms and set her over onto her side of the bed, though he couldn't deny that he was a tad disappointed at having to remove himself from her boobs.

"Thanks Elizabeth", he whispered softly at her sleeping form, a half-smile playing on his lips. Just as she could always depend on him, Meliodas knew without a doubt that he too could always count on her no matter the situation. She always seemed to know exactly what to do or what he needed, just like the time she had tossed him Liz's sword during the fight with a demonized Dale.

Once he had successfully put the princess back to bed without waking her, Meliodas leaned back with his eyes closed as his mind processed the details of his dream from earlier. He was no stranger to bad dreams. In his lengthy lifespan, there had been plenty of nightmares for him to have dealt with. His sins always came back to haunt him in some way, shape, or form. Especially in his sleep.

Tonight's dream was different somehow. It was so vivid and it played on some of his biggest worries. The entire experience left him with so many troublesome questions. Meliodas wondered if Elizabeth's nightmare had progressed the same way that his did; toying with her emotions and forcing her to experience one of her fears. His jaw clenched as a hint of guilt flowed through him at the thought.

Was Elizabeth secretly afraid of him? Is that why she dreamed about Danafor? He considered her reaction to him after she had her nightmare, and then her actions after his own nightmare. Other than when he detected the trace of fear in her eyes when she first awoke, it really didn't seem that way; quite the opposite actually. He opened his eyes and glanced at the princess as she slept.

' _Good, she's sleeping peacefully.'_ He smiled softly at her as she dozed. At least she was able to rest much easier tonight compared to the previous night.

Something else was bugging him in regards to these dreams. While his nightmare wasn't a real occurrence, the events at Danafor had actually happened. But that still didn't explain why Elizabeth was particularly made to dream about his sin, nor did it really explain why he dreamed about Elizabeth's death at the hands of his younger brother. It completely baffled him.

Well, maybe not completely. In his mind's eye he was subconsciously aware that it was a future possibility for him to have to confront not just Zeldris, but Estarossa as well and he knew that he would most likely clash swords with them again. He almost expected it. Meliodas wasn't exactly afraid to fight his brothers although he would be lying if the thought didn't at least make him apprehensive. The notion of any harm coming to Elizabeth, however, especially by their hands…

Either way, one thing was unquestionably true; it definitely wasn't a coincidence. Someone or something was attacking them in their sleep. And to further complicate things, Elizabeth wasn't the only target like he originally believed. Apparently anyone was fair game. His own nightmare was solid proof of that.

Until they all could figure out what was going on and who was behind the nightmares, no one was safe in their sleep anymore. He was going to have to discuss this revelation with the rest of his teammates in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4-Discussions and Deliberations

_A/N: Sooooo it's been a very hectic few weeks for me; life has been more than a little crazy. I'm so sorry that this chapter is late! Since I am posting way later than I usually do, here's a longer chapter for you! Thank you all so much for the reviews, follows, and faves; you guys give me the drive to keep going! Plus it's been so much fun getting back into writing again!_

…

"Captain you look terrible! Did something happen last night?"

Meliodas glanced up from the mug of Vanya ale that he was holding from behind the bar at a miniaturized Diane, who was staring at him from the foot of the stairs into the main dining area. The sin captain appeared to be a little more disheveled than usual; he had the beginnings of bags under his tired green eyes. Even his hair was slightly messier than normal.

"Something like that." He responded casually before taking a long gulp of his drink and setting the glass down on the countertop. If Diane could tell something was wrong based on his appearance, then it would most likely be very obvious to the rest of the sins as well. The only person who usually could ever immediately tell if there was an issue with him was Elizabeth. It didn't help that it was only morning and he was already tapping into his favorite ale stocks. That was more Ban's habit than his own.

After the painful nightmare he had, sleep hadn't easily come back to him. It seemed like he had laid there for hours while watching his roommate as she slept and pondering the circumstances of both their dreams. He had just fallen back asleep right before sunrise when he was once again enthusiastically awakened by one very angry pig. Only after a few added lumps to his head courtesy of the Dragon Sin and sheepish explanations from Elizabeth confirming that she had intentionally set Meliodas free of his ropes that Hawk relented, but not before scolding her about the 'dangers' of allowing the overly touchy feely blonde free at night. It was then that Meliodas had Hawk round up the others so he could talk to them about his suspicions.

Diane continued to inquisitively stare at her captain after she sat down as the rest of their group eventually made their way into the room and took their respective seats. Elizabeth was the last one to come down the stairs for their meeting. She settled at one of the tavern tables parallel to the bar counter, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her work skirt.

The princess had been feeling nervous ever since the Dragon Sin had made his wishes to talk to everyone known. She recognized that it had something to do with his nightmare from last night. In the short amount of time they had traveled together, she couldn't recall a time where she had seen such a reaction from him, either conscious or otherwise. Feeling him jerk violently next to her had startled her awake and watching as he started crying in his sleep unnerved her greatly.

Before she had the chance to try to rouse him, he had yelled and jumped up on his side of the bed with wide, panic-crazed eyes. There was uncharacteristic fear in his face as he had turned to look at her after she called out to him. That was when she had resolved to undo his ropes and offer any comfort possible as well as to repay him for his kindness the other night when she had gone through the same thing.

That wasn't the only thing she remembered doing. Her cheeks grew a little pink as she recalled falling asleep on him as well. She was so naturally comfortable around him and the lack of sleep from the previous night when she had her own nasty dream on top of how busy the tavern had been the last few days caught up to her at that precise moment.

"Alright guys, there's something that I need to discuss with you all."

Meliodas' voice jolted Elizabeth out of her thoughts and she raised her head to look up at him as he stood behind the bar. All attention was now centered on the blonde. He paused for a minute to drain the rest of the contents of his mug before continuing, slamming the cup down with a satisfied sigh, his face taking on a serious tone.

"There's a possibility that something or someone is launching an attack on us."

The reaction of the sins was almost like a ripple effect. Diane sat up straight in her seat, attentive to the captain's words while King had jumped up from his position on the floating Chastiefol in alarm "What?! When? How?"

"An attack Cap'n? About time we had some action around here~" Ban grinned and leaned forwards with his arms propped on top of the counter of the bar. To say that the Fox Sin was beyond bored from the lack of any fights or conflicts so far on this journey was an understatement.

Only Merlin and Gowther seemed unaffected by this news. Then again, Merlin was already aware of the circumstances behind their captain's concerns and Gowther rarely had any other expressions on his face anyways. The mage sat back in her chair cross legged with her usual smile as she observed the room, waiting for their captain to continue.

Meliodas nodded, the grim look still gracing his boyish features. "Yeah. I have reason to believe that there's something trying to target us in our sleep."

The room fell silent as all eyes remained on the blonde. "You think that someone's trying to start something in our sleep?" King asked incredulously. The rest of the sins stayed still however their faces mirrored the exact same sentiments that the Grizzly Sin was having. Was he really serious?

The Dragon Sin's eyes shifted over towards the fairy. This type of response wasn't unexpected. "I'm fairly positive that's the case here. First Elizabeth had a nightmare about something that would have been otherwise impossible for her to dream about. And last night, I also experienced a nightmare comparable to hers. Why would two different people have two bad nightmares two nights in a row with a similar outcome? It can't just be by chance."

Through his peripheral vision he could see Elizabeth's hands fly up to her mouth in surprise at the prospect that there was more to the contents of her nightmare than she realized. Meliodas knew he was going to have to have the talk he was hoping to avoid with her sooner than later, especially since he alluded to the fact that her dream wasn't really just a dream. He'd deal with that later. For now, he wanted to address the main issue with his comrades and warn them that they may also be affected as well.

"So that's why you look like hell Cap'n! And here I was thinking that you and our princess had another rowdy night together." sang the Sin of Greed with a laugh as he watched Elizabeth turn a lovely shade of red. The Sin of Wrath chose to both ignore him and the heated glares that the Sin of Envy was shooting in his direction.

"These nightmares aren't like your common run-of-the-mill dreams. And we're all at our most vulnerable in our sleep-if we don't get proper rest, we won't be on our game when the time comes to fight again which will put us at a disadvantage." When put into that perspective, Meliodas had a valid point. Their current mission to find both the Lion Sin and the relic from the Coffin of Eternal Darkness was a dangerous one that would most likely result in more than a few battles. They all needed to be in top shape, both physically and mentally.

Ban yawned and leaned back on the bar stool he was sitting on. "So there's something out there giving you and the princess bad dreams. We'll just find whoever's responsible and take them out. It's a done deal."

"It's not that simple. We have no clue as to who's doing it or how." Meliodas shook his head as he refilled his mug with ale and slid a fresh bottle over towards the Fox Sin, to the man's delight. "I'm willing to bet that all of us are at risk and will end up continuing to have these dreams until we figure out who's accountable and put a stop to it."

"Just what sort of nightmares did you and Elizabeth have Captain?" Diane tilted her head back as she looked up at the ceiling with a finger pressed against her cheek in thought. "They must have been really bad if you decided to bring this up with us."

Nightmares were not a foreign concept to the Seven Deadly Sins, seeing as none of them could ever escape their own personal histories which gave them their namesake; even in their dreams. They were seasoned at handling their nightmares. If the captain was calling a meeting about this, then there had to be more to it than just another foul dream. Especially if the princess was involved.

Before Elizabeth could say anything, Meliodas provided an answer on their behalf. "It's like one of your deepest regrets or fears are realized and in a warped way are used against you. They're intense and make you believe that you're really experiencing what goes on in the dream. It's basically a psychological attack. Like I said before, these aren't like regular bad dreams."

"A psychological attack…" King repeated the blonde's words as his attention turned to the Goat Sin, who was sitting quietly next to Merlin, observing everyone's reactions. His honey colored eyes narrowed. The Sin of Lust was well known for conducting his own experiments at his teammate's expense without so much as a second thought of the consequences. "Are we sure that Gowther isn't behind any of this?"

Merlin spoke up, vouching for the doll with a flash of her confident smile. She had a feeling that this would be brought up and was prepared to counter as necessary. "Not to worry dear. I've been keeping a close eye on Gowther. I can assure you that he is not responsible for the mental assault on either Sir Captain or Princess Elizabeth."

"Your assessment is a valid one King. You are not wrong in that I have the capability to cause nightmares with my power, Invasion. However I have not used any of my abilities on the captain or the princess. I have been told that to do so would be a bad idea." Gowther's pink head moved to one side as he addressed the Grizzly Sin's concerns, looking at him with his inexpressive golden eyes.

"Fine." The fairy huffed in response. Out of all of the Seven Deadly Sins, he probably trusted Gowther the least. His robotic nature certainly didn't help his case any. If the mage said he wasn't responsible, then he probably wasn't to blame.

"So, how do we find out who's causing the bad dreams? And is there a way to tell who's going to have the next nightmare?" Hawk piped up from his position on the floor next to Elizabeth.

Meliodas shifted his gaze to the ceiling, his arms propped up behind his head as he considered the pig's inquiries. "Those are actually pretty good questions. The truth is we don't know. I'm not certain if these dreams hit randomly, or if those who have already experienced them will dream again. Or if the same dream will repeat itself. The one thing I'm sure of is that no one is safe-anyone could be next."

The swine squeaked uneasily. "A-Anyone?"

"Yep. Anyone. And any subject too. Including certain events from our pasts." No one bothered to comment. It was crystal clear that if what the captain said was true, that they were facing a potentially dangerous unknown opponent who apparently had vast knowledge about who they were and what their weaknesses were.

' _Anyone could have these terrible nightmares…'_ Elizabeth thought solemnly as she looked back down at her hands in her lap. That meant that the Seven Deadly Sins were at risk to be tormented in their sleep. She and Meliodas both could have the same nightmares again. That idea alone made her stomach churn uneasily. She didn't want her friends to go through that. She didn't want Meliodas to suffer again. Hadn't they already had enough to deal with? Why was someone doing this to them? All of this was just so confusing.

Meliodas noticed the gloomy look on Elizabeth's face and signed inwardly. He wished he had more information to go off of so he could better protect her and everyone else. He also seriously hoped that Merlin would have some sort of breakthrough soon and would quickly find something out about these nightmares and how to stop them. It was going to be a real pain in the ass to continue to deal with them otherwise. His own recent nightmare was still very fresh in his mind.

"Anyways, for now I think it might be a good idea for us to lie low until we can get to the bottom of this and come up with a plan. We have enough profit from the past few nights that taking one day off shouldn't hurt us. I'd also like to get Hawk's Mom moving towards the next town. The closer we get to Camelot the better."

Everyone looked at one another and nodded in agreement. With how busy they had been lately there was no way in hell that any of them would deny a day off from work, no matter the reason.

With that, Meliodas gulped down the last of his drink and leaped over the bar counter. Their conversation was over. "Get ready to move out in about an hour!"

…

It was another gorgeous spring day in Britannia. The sky was a vibrant shade of blue with puffy clouds floating and the sun was shining brightly. Colorful butterflies were fluttering around the little clearing that the Boar Hat was positioned on, landing on various wildflowers. Down the hill below, the village appeared to be bustling with activity as the townspeople went about their day, the sounds floating up into the meadow. The surrounding environment certainly didn't fit the mood that the 3rd princess of Liones found herself in.

After Meliodas had dismissed them, Elizabeth has been urged to go relax and to leave the preparations needed to move to the rest of the group, to her dismay as she wanted to help out. Reluctantly she situated herself in the soft grass a short distance from the tavern, observing as Ban shuttled barrels and other goods into the pantry in the back. A now normal sized Diane stood nearby chatting with both the bandit and the fairy king floating by her shoulder. The others were finishing their arrangements inside the Boar Hat. They would soon be on the go again, just as the captain had instructed.

The princess closed her eyes with a sigh and leaned back on the grass. Something that Meliodas said earlier had been bugging her. _'It's like one of your deepest regrets or fears are realized and in a warped way are used against you…what is it that I dread that caused me to have a nightmare about Sir Meliodas? What did he mean about my dream? Did he have the same nightmare as me? '_

Even though she had sworn repeatedly to not let the nightmare bother her anymore, the admission that she dreamed about something she shouldn't have opened up a whole new serving of questions; questions that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push them out of her head. Maybe it was time for her to attempt to talk to him about it; she couldn't help but feel like she dreamed about something that he had more knowledge about than he originally let on.

"Hey there! What'cha doing?" A welcoming voice scared her out of her thoughts, causing her eyes to snap open and for her to sit up in panic. A pair of emerald eyes and a familiar face hovered near her.

"S-sir Meliodas! You startled me!"

The Dragon Sin chuckled and plopped down on the grass next to her with his arms draped across his knees as he continued to grin at her. "Sorry about that! I came to check on you. It's almost time for us to leave."

Elizabeth smiled at the sin captain and turned her gaze back up to the sky. "Thank you for coming to get me…I was just thinking, is all."

The blonde raised a brow at her. "That so? What were you thinking about?"

The princess briefly hesitated. She didn't really want to bring the topic up as she knew it was a highly sensitive subject, but she couldn't help it; she wanted to know more about his past and wanted to know how her dream fit into it. She wanted-no, she needed answers, especially if they were dealing with an invisible enemy.

"I was just thinking…about the nightmare I had." Elizabeth looked back at the man sitting next to her. "Sir Meliodas? Could…could you tell me what happened to Liz?"

Meliodas leaned back a little in astonishment. It wasn't exactly the question that he was expecting her to ask, but he knew it would all come out in the open eventually. After her experience in her nightmare, he did feel that she earned the right to know some of the truth behind his sin. Was now really a good time to discuss this? Would there ever be a good time to talk about his past with her?

The determined look in her visible blue eye was noticeable. Yes-he might as well take a leap of faith and see how this exchange would go. He decided to let his guard down with her and allowed his emotions to show through for a change; a true sign of trust. Meliodas returned her gaze, his green eyes softening considerably as he looked at the princess. "Well…" Before he could continue, Elizabeth pressed on nervously.

"I-I'm sorry to ask you about it…it's just…I can't help but feel like the woman in the nightmare I had…that it was Liz…"

The blonde cleared his throat. It was now or never. Time to get this over with. "Well…about Liz...she died around 16 years ago in Danafor. "

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock. Liz perished in Danafor, the place of her own birth. Without realizing it she leaned closer to Meliodas, hanging onto his words eagerly as their faces grew closer to one another. He was finally admitting something else about his past to her; even though it appeared to be a painful aspect of his past life.

"I-if you don't mind my asking…How did…" The princess paused as a flash of sadness shone through his eyes. A brief silence stretched between them before he quietly answered her.

"How did she die? Well…Liz was killed. The same day that the kingdom of Danafor fell." Meliodas surprised himself at how calmly he was speaking about Liz's demise to Elizabeth. Even after all this time, her death was still a sore spot in his heart; a tender area that he attempted to avoid exploring. He swallowed heavily as Elizabeth's face took on an empathetic expression.

"I…I'm so sorry Sir Meliodas...for asking about it. I-it's just…I don't understand why I had a nightmare about her…or about you…" she whispered the last portion of her sentence with her eyes downturned onto the ground. Even though she felt absolutely awful for bringing Liz up, pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together now.

Elizabeth was convinced that she had been in Danafor in her dream. If Liz had died the same way that she witnessed in the nightmare, then did that also mean that Sir Meliodas was the reason why Danafor met with disaster? Was that why he was known as the Dragon Sin of Wrath?

Meliodas couldn't help but lightly smile at both her proximity and at her worry for him. This conversation was going better than he imagined it would, even though he was still withholding quite a lot of information. Baby steps. "It's ok Elizabeth. It's only natural for you to be curious after the nightmare you had."

Elizabeth returned the Dragon's Sin gentle smile before it faded away. Shedding light on Liz also led her to suspect that her nightmare probably wasn't actually just a dream at all. Is that what he meant when he said that she dreamed something that would have been otherwise impossible for her to dream about? She mentally readied herself to ask her next question, slightly anxious about his response. "Sir Meliodas? Does that mean that what happened before and after Liz's death in my dream…really occurred?"

Here it was; the moment that he would have to admit that her nightmare was his reality; as an after effect the flood gates of his past would swing wide open. There was no mistaking that Elizabeth was a strong person and could tackle any aversion thrown her way. It was one of her many admirable traits. He simply wasn't sure how she would handle the fact that he destroyed an entire kingdom because his demonic powers spiraled out of his control or the details behind the attack on Danafor before he lost himself to his wrath. He hoped that she would be able to stay afloat when the truth about him came out to sweep her away.

"Elizabeth, I-"

"Hey! Captain! Elizabeth! Are you guys ready to head out?"

Elizabeth jumped backwards from Meliodas with a start. Diane was walking up quickly towards them, waving at the couple. "Ban's finished outside and Merlin said that everything's ready on her end for us to leave." The giantess looked back and forth between the two with curiosity as she noted the sheepish look on the princess' face. "Did I interrupt something?" She asked, her amethyst eyes narrowing again at the Dragon Sin. Clearly she was assuming that he was engaging in perversion again with the princess.

A split second passed before the blonde grinned up at his large comrade, his typical cheery mask back in place and green eyes shining in humor at her. "Nah, we were just getting ready to go back to the tavern ourselves. We'll catch up with you in just a minute."

"Okay Captain! See you both at the Boar Hat!" Satisfied with his answer, the Serpent Sin spun on her heels and began to make her way back to the bar. Meliodas and Elizabeth watched as the distance grew between the three of them.

' _I owe you one, Diane'_ he thought to himself as he hopped onto his feet. Thank the goddesses that the giantess provided a decent distraction at the right time. He turned and held out his hand to the silver haired girl next to him.

"Well, we better get back to the tavern before Hawk's Mom leaves without us!"

Elizabeth nodded and gingerly reached for Meliodas' outstretched hand, accepting his assistance as he gently pulled her to a standing position. She'd figure out more about the truth behind her nightmare later. Right now they had other priorities to focus on. Content for the moment, both the princess and the Dragon Sin headed back towards the hidden giant green pig with the tavern tied onto its back, hand in hand.

…...

Diane softly exhaled as she trudged along next to Hawk's Mom. She was her regular height again. Being the same size as everyone else was nice, however if there were any threats, Meliodas had wagered that it was a good idea for her to limit the amount of times she took the magic pills that shrunk her so she could be at the ready with Gideon in tow. She didn't disagree with his logic.

They had been traveling in a southerly direction for some time now since they left earlier; towards the bordering village that Meliodas mapped out. Given the pace they were moving, the group would most likely reach their destination by twilight.

The giantess utilized the time by running through the specifics of the discussion from earlier that morning. She understood the captain's unease at the prospect of nightmares. Who in their right mind would want to go through bad dreams? Goddess knows she's had a few herself before that had terrified her. However, Diane couldn't help but wonder if maybe Meliodas was being a little premature in his belief of the Sins undergoing a psychological attack. After all, it was Elizabeth who had a nightmare and he was always particularly protective of her. But he did say that he had one last night, right after Elizabeth's, which was weird...

The Sin of Envy bowed her head slightly with fortitude brimming in her eyes. Whether or not he was just being overprotective really didn't matter; if the captain was worried, then so should they all be. She'd do whatever she could within her means to lend him and Elizabeth her strength in whatever trials they all faced. That's what friends were for.

A familiar voice at her side shook the giantess out of her deliberations, causing her to look over her shoulder in surprise. "Hey Diane!"

"Oh! Hi King! What are you doing out here?"

The fairy drifted up to hover by her ear on his sacred treasure. "Eh, the tavern was getting a little stuffy. I'd much rather be outside here keeping you company" he said with a blush spreading slowly on his face.

Diane smiled happily at King. She was glad for his companionship. "Okay then!"

"S-so, you looked like you were lost in thought. Is something bothering you?" King cleared his throat while looking straight ahead in his best attempt to hide the deepening flush in his cheeks at the evident admission that he had been watching her.

"Mmmm...I guess I was just thinking about what Captain had told us today-about the possibility of us being attacked. Do you think someone's really trying to hurt us in our sleep?"

"Well, I mean, the Captain was pretty serious about it. Even if it isn't true it's better to be safe than sorry and try to figure out what's going on. He has a good point; if these nightmares are really bad enough to harm us, then we need to be on guard." King surmised while glancing back at Diane.

The Serpent Sin frowned. "Captain said that the nightmares could be about our pasts. So it could be about our sins, but aren't we already used to that?" Pausing for a minute, she turned her gaze to the scenery ahead of her. The sun was waning in the sky and starting to set. They would most likely be stopping soon. "How do we fight something we have no information about? It's not like we have any control in our sleep. "

Diane was right; how were they supposed to combat against an enemy with unknown strengths and weaknesses? If Meliodas' suspicions were correct, any of them could experience a psychological attack tonight. What if Diane was next? King's hands clenched into fists as the thought of her suffering in her sleep crossed his mind. "We'll find a way! I know we will! Don't you worry Diane! I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that you rest soundly and that no nightmares head your way!" he exclaimed vigorously, which caused the giantess to genuinely smile at the Grizzly Sin again. His determination to be there and protect her always secretly pleased her.

"Yes, we'll all figure this out together!" she agreed just as enthusiastically as her friend. She meant it. They would all find the answers needed and would stop the offender as soon as possible. The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence as they continued forwards. King snuck peeks at the giantess every so often when she wasn't paying him any attention as she walked besides Hawk's Mom.

About a half hour later, both sins could spot the outline of a town ahead of them in the distance. They were again located in a small field with numerous lush hills neighboring them on both sides. Hawk's Mom halted and started diving into the ground, clods of dirt and debris scattering everywhere as her hooves dug. Pretty soon the Boar Hat was all that was left in view with no hint of the giant pig underground beneath it.

"Looks like it's been decided to settle here for the evening." King confirmed as he peered up at Diane. The giantess nodded in agreement, listening as the tavern door creaked open and the rest of their group spread out into the open to take in their surroundings and stretch their legs. They would probably remain there for a day or so before leaving again. At this rate they would most likely arrive at Camelot by the end of the week.

With the darkness of nightfall fast approaching, the words of the captain that held a warning echoed in Diane's mind. _"It's like one of your deepest regrets or fears are realized and in a warped way are used against you. They're intense and make you believe that you're really experiencing what goes on in the dream. It's basically a psychological attack. Like I said before, these aren't like regular bad dreams."_

Diane made a silent request to the Goddesses that the nightmares would stop that night while she watched everyone all gather around the Boar Hat chatting away. While she wasn't afraid of something as simple as a dream, she knew enough about mental attacks from watching Gowther fight to know that even the strongest or bravest of people could easily succumb to battles of the mind. Even she herself had encountered attacks of the mind in the past thanks to a Holy Knight. If Elizabeth hadn't of intervened, then the captain and herself would surely have fought to the death while under the influence of an illusion. If what Meliodas alleged was correct, then that's exactly what the sins would end up experiencing-Psychological Warfare. The thought made her a little edgy.

As she would later find out, it regrettably appeared that Diane's wishes fell on deaf ears.


	5. Chapter 5-Ideas and Dead Ends

_A/N: I don't have much of an excuse for why it's taken me over a MONTH to post the next chapter in this tale. The best reason I have is that I caught one hell of a cold and it took me almost 4 weeks to shake it off. I apologize for this being so late! Anywho, here's the latest (read: LATE) chapter. Hope you enjoy!_

 _On another note, you may have noticed the user name change; the lovely Yui (LucyDragneel2009) has bestowed an awesome nickname upon me, and I could not pass up the chance to use it! I'm honored to now be known as Twiggy, the Captain of The Order of Twig Collection (on Fridays)! Thanks Yui! :D_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Seven Deadly Sins. I am borrowing them for this story._

….

Since it had been decided that the Boar Hat would remain closed for the evening, the group had been relaxing around the tavern after Hawk's Mom had burrowed at their current location. Gowther and Merlin were hanging around the tavern while King was busy keeping Diane company outside. As there wouldn't be any customers around waiting to be served, there was a perfect opportunity for a certain duo to engage in another one of their many drinking contests.

"Ohhh yeah! That hit the spot! Keep 'em coming Caaaaaap'n!~" Ban sang with a toothy grin at his best friend behind the bar counter. The Fox Sin was on his 3rd serving of ale, his cheeks already flushed from the alcohol coursing through his system.

Meliodas laughed while he poured two mugs full and slid one towards Ban, who eagerly picked it up. "Here you go buddy; bottoms up!" The two men clanked their cups together and both tipped their heads back to guzzle their beverages. As to be expected, the Dragon Sin finished his drink first and thumped his empty mug onto the countertop in victory.

"Looks like it's gonna be another win for me!" Meliodas exclaimed triumphantly.

"The hell it is! Les gho 'nother round Cap'n!" Ban slurred in extreme intoxication. It was doubtful that he would last much longer against Meliodas, who clearly had a much higher tolerance for booze compared to him.

Elizabeth giggled as she observed the two men from her seat at the opposite end of the bar. She enjoyed the comradery that all the Sins shared with one another, but Ban and Meliodas had a distinct friendship. One could plainly see the admiration the Fox Sin held for the blond just by watching their exchanges and vice versa. They both brought out the inner child in one another. She simply adored seeing the two of them interact together.

While she continued to watch as the two men chugged down their next pints of ale, the princess allowed her mind to wander back to the present matters that they were all facing. They were still on the search for both the last Sin and the piece to the Coffin of Eternal Darkness on top of dealing with the whole psychological assaults in their sleep thing. To Elizabeth, the added burden of the nightmares wasn't fair to her friends. They were all recently pardoned for the false crimes they were framed for and Hendrickson had been defeated, yet it seemed that they still couldn't catch a break. There was never a dull moment. She supposed this was just how life was for a member of The Seven Deadly Sins; always full of adventure and conflict.

Truth be told, she was grateful to be a part of it. Being on this new journey delighted her and Elizabeth had resolved to work as hard as possible to hone and mold her newfound powers so she could be of use to everyone, especially for Sir Meliodas. If only there was something she could do to help them in regards to their newest predictament…

"Yo, Elizabeth! Are you ok?"

Blinking, Elizabeth snapped back to attention, looking into a pair of emerald eyes. "Oh! Yes! I'm sorry Sir Meliodas. Did you say something?"

Meliodas was now standing in front of her, wiping down the two cups that were used in his competition against Ban. The undead man was sprawled face down on top of the countertop, completely passed out. It appeared that the Dragon Sin was the winner again. Elizabeth briefly wondered, not for the first time, how it was that he was able to consume so much alcohol in one sitting without it hardly affecting him at all.

"I was asking if you were ready to call it a night. It's getting late and tomorrow promises to be a busy travel day for us." Meliodas tilted his head somewhat in curiosity as he continued to gaze at her. "Are you sure you're alright? You looked deep in thought."

Oh. Right. The princess tried her best not to appear nervous at the prospect of sleep. Allowing her anxiety to get the best of her wouldn't help matters any further and she didn't want to worry everyone. Although after the dream she had, it was becoming way easier said than done. "Oh, I'm fine! Yes, you're right. We should probably get some rest so we'll be ready for tomorrow."

In a show to further prove that all was well, Elizabeth stood up from her seat at the bar and began heading towards the staircase so she could prepare for bed. She had to try to be strong for everyone, especially for Sir Meliodas.

"Goodnight everybody!" She stated with more confidence than she felt.

Sensing her discomfort, a little pink piggy also rose up from his position on the tavern floor. "I'll go up with you and will tuck you in Elizabeth." Hawk puffed out his chest, his beady eyes gleaming confidently. "Never fear! Sir Hawk, the Captain of the Order of Scraps Disposal is here for you!"

"Oh thank you Hawk!" she exclaimed in gratitude. Even though it did little to ease her apprehension, she appreciated the gesture all the same.

Meliodas chuckled at the pig's display of gusto towards the princess. "Okay then, I'll be up there shortly!" he grinned cheerfully.

He still wasn't quite convinced that everything was well with Elizabeth; she still was acting a little too aloof for his liking. The Dragon Sin decided that he'd ask her more about it later when he joined her for the night, although he had a very good hunch as to what was on her mind and was fairly certain that she probably wouldn't fall asleep until he was there beside her.

Elizabeth answered him with a soft smile and nod before she continued up the stairs to their bedroom with Hawk in tow.

Meliodas kept his focus on the staircase until he heard the soft click of the door closing. His usual protectiveness towards the princess had recently been kicked into a slight overdrive due to the nasty nightmare he had the previous night. Even with comfort in the knowledge that it was simply a dream, the vivid image of her lying limp in his arms with blood pooling out from her haunted him, though he was careful to not let it show. The contents of his dream were just another subject to add to the already long list of things he'd rather keep to himself and never revisit again.

' _With Hawk up there, she should be safe'_ , the blond reasoned in an endeavor to quell the distressing thoughts that swirled in his head. It certainly didn't benefit his mood any that the memory of the mage that had kidnapped the silverette right under his nose surfaced, serving as another unpleasant reminder that none of them, specifically Elizabeth, were truly safe, even at the Boar Hat until he got his sword back.

He sighed and returned to putting away the mugs he was cleaning, choosing to ignore the snores of his inebriated friend as he slumbered on the bar. Meliodas was tempted to wake Ban up with a swift knock to the head but decided against it. It was better to just leave him where he lay so he could sleep it all off.

"Penny for your thoughts, Captain?"

His attention drifted towards the speaker as they moved to take over Elizabeth's previous seat across the bar counter from where he was standing. Crap. He had forgotten that he wasn't the only conscious person left in the main room.

"It's nothing to worry about. Any headway in figuring out where the fragment is?" He asked in an clear effort to divert the topic from himself.

Merlin crossed her slender legs as she leaned towards the counter while she faced the captain with a knowing smirk on her plump lips. The kingdom's greatest magician was obviously perceptive to his inner thoughts, as always. "If you say so Captain. I've extended my powers all throughout the parameter and have utilized Aldan to its limits. So far there is still no sign of the creature or of the ritual relic."

This was not promising news. The more time passed, the bigger the threat they all faced. "Damn. Where could it have been taken to?" Meliodas muttered, more to himself than to the mage.

Merlin continued on; she had more bad news to give. "I also have been pouring over many scriptures and writings in my possession in regards to our latest mystery. Unfortunately with my limited resources I currently cannot pinpoint the originating source of these nightmares."

The Sin of Wrath exhaled in frustration. The night was just getting better and better. "Great. So we're still stuck at square one and not any closer to resolving our problems."

"For now we do appear to be at an impasse. However I believe we're also taking the best course of action, which is for us to head to Camelot. Once we arrive I will be able to scour the grand library for anything that may shed light on our situation. I could teleport there tomorrow and get a head start on my research if you would prefer, dear Captain."

Meliodas fell silent as he contemplated her suggestion. It wasn't the most ideal plan as it would mean that their numbers would be reduced and their defenses slightly weakened until they regrouped again, however they also couldn't just sit by and do nothing. They needed to get a handle on the sleep attacks before they got any worse while continuing on their current mission.

"Hmm, that's probably a good idea. You should take Gowther with you as well. Since he has similar powers to what we're facing, he could probably help speed up the search for any clues." He concluded, shooting a glance at the doll that was situated at a table with his nose shoved in a book.

The Goat Sin calmly raised his head at the mentioning of his name. Too wrapped up in the tale he was reading, Gowther hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation between the mage and the demon.

"Did you need me for something Captain?" he inquired as he adjusted his glasses.

Meliodas flashed his typical grin at him. "Gowther, I want you to go with Merlin to Camelot tomorrow morning after breakfast and see if you can find anything in regards to these nightmares. Try to help her find out if there's a way to either fight against them or prevent these dreams. "

Gowther shifted his eyes towards the mage and bowed his pink head in acceptance. "Roger, Captain."

Satisfied for the moment, Meliodas circled from around the bar. At least now they had some semblance of a plan. "Good. Like I said this morning; the sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better." It really would be nice if they could gain the upper hand for a change, or so he felt.

The Dragon Sin caught a glimpse outside through one of the tavern windows. Based on the position of the moon, it was edging close to midnight. "It's getting late, so we should all go to bed. Nightmares or not, we still need to attempt to sleep."

Merlin and Gowther both rose from their seats, ready to follow the captain to the upper floors so they too could turn in for the night and prepare to complete their assignment in the morning. The Goat Sin looked towards the Sin of Greed, who continued to snore away, oblivious to the world. "Should we attempt to wake Ban up?"

The blonde shook his head at his comrades. He was already halfway up the stairs. "Nah, just leave him there. If he wakes up he can drag himself to his room." Ban was a big boy and could take care of himself just fine. Right now his main priority was Elizabeth.

Upon opening the door to their room, Meliodas met with a rather impatient Hawk, the ropes that were used to secure the Sin of Wrath dangling from his mouth. "About time you showed up! Hurry up and change into your bed clothes so I can tie you up already! Elizabeth's been waiting for you!" The pig chastised loudly as the sin captain brushed past him.

…...

Diane was gazing at the stars that speckled the obsidian sky while stretched out on her back, the soft grass beneath her providing additional cushioning. King was also sprawled out beside her on Chastiefol, level with her ear as they both relaxed, listening to the crickets chirp in the distance. The shadows cast from the Boar Hat in the moonlight were dancing across the ground around them which had a soothing effect on the two Sins as they took in the tranquility of the night.

"You don't have to force yourself to stay out here with me you know. You can always go back into the tavern and sleep in your room." She murmured, breaking the calm silence between them.

The fairy readjusted himself on his pillow. "I'm not being forced to do anything. I like being out here with you Diane." His face flushed crimson as he spoke. "Besides, it's a nice night, and it's better to have two people out standing guard than just one."

The giantess' heart n her chest at his words. "Yeah, I guess you're right, though there doesn't seem to be any dangers nearby."

The Sin of Sloth hummed in agreement as he continued to look up into the twinkling sky. At least there wasn't any outside threats to any of them at the moment. Just in case, both Diane and King had planned on sleeping in 3 to 4 hour increments, that way there was always someone awake and alert. It was very apparent that whatever Meliodas experienced was enough to jostle the captain to the point where he felt taking extra precautions in security was necessary.

"Hey, King?" The giantess shifted her head slightly to look at her fairy companion.

"Y-Yeah Diane? What is it?" he answered, meeting her gaze.

Diane hesitated for a moment. "I… thank you. I'm glad I'm not alone and that you're with me." she said, shyly twirling a strand of chocolate brown hair around her index finger in a way that he found absolutely adorable.

King's blush deepened. He was glad too. After the conversation that morning, the Grizzly Sin had been worried for her. He didn't want Diane to experience what the Captain and Lady Elizabeth had already gone through in the past few nights. That's why he took it upon himself to watch over her and made the decision to stand guard with her.

"Well, we'd better get some rest! I'm sure Captain's going to want to start the day bright and early tomorrow. "The brunette yawned.

"Yeah, that's true. I'll take the first watch so you can go to sleep."

She smiled happily at him as she curled her body towards him, her eyes closing as the fatigue from traveling started to take hold of her. "Don't forget to wake me up when it's time for my shift to start, okay? You need sleep too."

King tenderly returned her smile as he watched her slip into what looked to be a peaceful slumber. "Of course Diane! Pleasant dreams."

He lay there as the Serpent Sin slept; listening to every breath she took and making sure he paid extra attention to her in case she began to exhibit any signs of distress so he could wake her quickly.

His fists clenched at his sides as his brows creased in immediate irritation at the thought. King fervently wished that he would be the one to experience the next nightmare, if one would occur that night. Anything to spare Diane.

It was frustrating to him that he was powerless to stop it; he couldn't even begin to know how to protect the woman he loved from the invisible foe that was threatening them all. The best thing he could do was to just be there for her in case it was her turn to be plagued by nightmares.

Luckily for the both of them, the evening progressed uneventfully and the hours trickled down slowly. The Sin of Envy continued to sleep undisturbed to the fairy's relief. While he didn't want anyone else in their group to go through it and hoped that the attacker did indeed skip a night, King was appreciative that it appeared that Diane didn't seem to be a target at that time. At least for now.


	6. Author's Note-Still Alive!

_Hey everyone! I'm alive, I swear! I haven't forgotten about this community or this story, and I do promise that I have been plotting the next few chapters for this one (and other planned stories for this awesome franchise). Life has just thrown me a few huge curveballs since my last posted chapter, some of which I couldn't manage to catch or dodge, and let's just say I'm still slowly recovering from the bruises._

 _I would like to thank each and every one of you who have faved, followed, and/or reviewed this fanfic, and I do swear to do my best to start posting more regularly going forwards._


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